Magnetic toy device



y 2 1963 c. P. GORDON 3,090,155

MAGNETIC TOY DEVICE Filed Jan. 26, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

cv/flnls-s P. 4%?00/1 May 21, 1963 c. P. GORDON MAGNETIQ TOY DEVICE 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 26. 1960 INVENTOR. 6/9/9215: emwa/v tats Thepresent invention relates to a magnetic toy device and it particularlyrelates to a childrens game arrangement.

It is among the objects of the present invention to produce a novel,manipulatable game arrangement which may be readily packaged and whichwill have detachable and replaceable elements.

Another object is to provide a novel childrens game arrangement in whichthere are provided magnetic attachments in which the child may applyvarious elements in a basic structure to achieve novel results.

Still further objects and advantages will appear in the more detaileddescription set forth below, it being understood, however, that thismore detailed description is given by way of illustration andexplanation only and not by way of limitation, since various changestherein may be made by those skilled in the art without departing fromthe scope and spirit of the present invention.

In accomplishing the above objects the invention contemplates theprovision of a shell-like base structure, usually a face devoid of cars,mouth and eyes.

This base structure will carry a series of magnetic elements and locatorridges or recesses which will hold and carry detachable and replaceableelements, which may consist of various shapes of ears, mouths and eyes,and other attachments or appurtenances.

For example, a pig, dog, lion or clown face may be provided withdifferent types of ears, eyes and mouth, and even with removable beardsand moustaches or other facial attachments.

A hollow shell body may also be provided with removable legs, tail,head, or other elements.

The base is desirably a hollow shell of a relatively stifi orsemi-pliable plastic. This shell is recessed or ridged at the portionsto be replaced, such as the eyes, mouth, ear and so forth.

Centrally of each of these elements and at the back of the shell arepositioned eyeleted cylindrical magnetic elements with the eyelet fixingthe central part of the magnet.

The detachable and interchangeable small shells which form the eyes,mouths and ears are desired to register with the shells or ridges andthey have small armature or magnetic contact elements which arepositioned so that they may be mounted and held up against the eyeletedmagnetic cylindrical elements.

Desirably the attachment elements have flat back portions which fitagainst flat recessed portions carrying the eyelets for the permanentmagnets so that the attached elements may be laterally adjusted to becorrectly positioned.

The recessed eye, mouth and ear portions are so ridged or arranged as tolocate the edges of the applique eyes and mouth portions, or otherinterchangeable or detachable appurtenances.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists ofthe novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts ashereinafter more specifically described, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, wherein is shown an embodiment of the invention,but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modificationscan be resorted to which fall within the scope of the claims hereuntoappended.

atent ice In the drawings wherein like reference characters de notecorresponding parts throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a carrier structure carrying thebase shell structure, together with the interchangeable attachments.

FIG. 2 is a separated perspective view of the base structure, showingthe interchangeable ears, eyes and mouth removed therefrom butindicating their association therewith.

FIG. 3 is a top perspective view similar to FIG. 2 but showing thedetachable ears, eyes and mouth attached thereto.

FIG. 4 is a rear elevational view of the base shell of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken upon the line 55 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a rear inside elevational view of the interchangeable eyeelement.

FIG. 7 is a transverse sectional view taken upon the line 77 of FIG. 3.

Referring to FIGS. 2 to 7, there is shown a base shell A having theremovable ears B, the interchangeable eyes C and the interchangeablenose D.

The entire arrangement may be boxed within the box E having the recess Ffor the main shell A and other recesses for the various interchangeableelements.

Referring to FIGS. 2 to 7, the shell has the flat portions 10 with theside locator ridges 11 and the bottom locator ridges 12.

Centrally of the fiat portions 10 there are provided the magnet elements13, held in position by the rivets 14.

Each of these magnets consists of a short cylindrical element with acentral opening in which the rivet, of a magnetic material, has a turnedover rear end 15 tightly engaged against the back face of the magnet 13and at its forward end engaged over the base 10 of the recess whichforms the socket or locator receptacle for the eye element C.

The eye element C, as shown in FIG. 6, has a forward shell 17, which maybe suitably decorated, as indicated at 18, and it has a rear fiat shell19 having the magnetic tab 20 held in position by the cars 21 (see FIG.6) which may be welded or otherwise adhesively connected in position at22.

The fiat face 19, sliding on the flat recess 10, will give an adjustmentso that the center of the plate 20 may locate itself directly on thehead of the tubular rivet 14, which will carry the magnetic flux.

In the case of the mouth portion D there is a flat 30 (see FIGS. 2 to 4)with a central magnet element 31 having the rivet 32 which is flangedover at 33 at the back of the magnet.

The armature or contact element 34 has its inturned ears turned over at35 through the flat back face 36, welded or adhesively connected inposition at 37.

The edges 38 of the removable mouth element D will rest on the curvedrecessed portions 39, with the plate 40 being in contact with the insideflange of the rivet 32. The ears B are held in position by the magnetelements 40. It will be noted that the ears have the ridges 41 indicatedin FIG. 2, which locate them against the terminal flange 42 of the shellA.

Referring to FIG. 1, there are shown the recesses 60 for the ears B, therecesses 61 for the eyes C and the recess 62 for the mouth D.

The recesses 63 may receive alternative eye structures and the recess 64may receive an alternative mouth structure.

At the other side of the box there may be provided long type ears in therecesses 65, different eye structures in th recesses 66 and 67 anddiiferent ear structures in the recesses 68.

The entire structure is readily made of cheap plastic materials and isreadily assembled and is quite attractive to children and may be readilymanipulated by children over a wide age range.

It is possible to make the attachments out of cardboard or metal as wellas plastic and to eliminate the backings such as 19 and 36 and have themagnet and have the eyelet or rivet 34 fastened directly to projectingnose or eye sections made flatter so that the eyelet will make closecontact with the magnet 13 or 31.

As many changes could be made in the above magnetic toy device, and manywidely different embodiments of this invention could be made withoutdeparture from the scope of the claims, it is intended that all mattercontained in the above description shall be interpreted as illustrativeand not in a limiting sense.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of theinvention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, what isclaimed is:

1. An animal face toy consisting'of an outwardly domed shell-like basestructure simulating the shape and size of an animal face havingrelatively fiat recessed areas at the positions of the mouth and eyeswith outwardly projecting ridges extending peripherally around the edgesof said flat areas, annular permanent magnet elements positioned in backof and centrally abutting against the interior of said -flat areas,tubular elements extending through said annular magnet elements andtransversely through the central portion of the flat areas with the endsof the tubular elements being beaded over and outwardly at theirinterior ends over the interior ends of the annular elements and attheir exterior ends over the central exterior portions of the flatareas, and plastic shell eye, mouth and nose elements having outwardlydomed exterior portions and fiat interior portions and having the samewidth, height and contour as said flat areas'and having centralmagnetizable elements at the rear faces of the interior portions.

2. The toy of claim 1, said exterior and interior portions consisting ofthin plastic elements joined together at the periphery and said plasticelements having peripheral contact edges and said edges contacting andriding on said outwardly projecting ridges, and said magnetizableelements consisting of rectangular plates of less width and height thanthe outside diameter of the annular permanent magnetic elements.

3. A thin rigid plastic shell face for a childrens toy havingreplaceable eye and nose portions, said shell being provided withshallow recesses at the positions of the eyes and nose and said recesseshaving a flattened base, and oblique curved side edges at the peripheryof the recesses, and an annular permanent magnet of cylindrical shapecentrally positioned in back of each recess and a cylindrical hollowrivet of magnetic material extending through the magnet and through theflattened base and being peened over the back of 'the magnet and thebottom of the recess so as to form an annular projection in the base ofthe recess, and an applique having a flat base to be positioned in oneof said recesses with its periphery riding upon said curved edges andbeing spaced above the flattened bottom of said recess and a fiat facemeta-lbutton on the inside face of said applique to contact said annularprojection in the base ofthe recess, said button and said'projectionbeing positioned so as to correctly position said applique in saidrecess.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,465,971 Leblang Mar. 29, 1949 2,795,893 Vayo June 18, 1957 2,944,368OBrian et a1. July 12, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 4,602 Great Britain 19121,207,369 France Aug. 31, 1959

1. AN ANIMAL FACE TOY CONSISTING OF AN OUTWARDLY DOMED SHEEL-LIKE BASESTRUCTURE SIMULATING THE SHAPE AND SIZE OF AN ANIMAL FACE HAVINGRELATIVELY FLAT RECESSED AREAS AT THE POSITIONS OF THE MOUTH AND EYESWITH OUTWARDLY PROJECTING RIDGES EXTENDING PERIPHERALLY AROUND THE EDGESOF SAID FLAT AREAS, ANNULAR PERMANENT MAGNET ELEMENTS POSITIONED IN BACKOF AND CENTRALLY ABUTTING AGAINST THE INTERIOR OF SAID FLAT AREAS,TUBULAR ELEMENTS EXTENDING THROUGH SAID ANNULAR MAGNET ELEMENTS ANDTRANSVERSELY THROUGH THE CENTRAL PORTION OF THE FLAT AREAS WITH THE ENDSOF THE TUBULAR ELEMENTS BEING BEADED OVER AND OUTWARDLY AT THEIRINTERIOR ENDS OVER THE INTERIOR ENDS OF THE ANNULAR ELEMENTS AND ATTHEIR EXTERIOR ENDS OVER THE CENTRAL EXTERIOR PORTIONS OF THE FLATAREAS, AND PLASTIC SHELL EYE, MOUTH AND NOSE ELEMENTS HAVING OUTWARDLYDOMED EXTERIOR PORTIONS AND FLAT INTERIOR PORTIONS AND HAVING THE SAMEWIDTH, HEIGHT AND CONTOUR AS SAID FLAT AREAS AND HAVING CENTRALMAGNETIZABLE ELEMENTS AT THE REAR FACES OF THE INTERIOR PORTIONS.